Electrically-operated wing-tip flare bracket



H. O. RUSSELL ET AL ELECTRICALLY OPERATED WING TIP FLARE BRACKET Fild' April 18, 1922 G w 0% G r NLET FusseZZ fl 7 0 ZiZlI/ S jwewzors rZerZ g- Grass-leg KE UQOOOOOA VOOOOOOOQ Fatented May 3, 1927.

U'E'ED SATES PATENT,

OFFICE.

HERBERT '0. RUSSELL, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AND CHARLES LIiiI-G-H PAULUS, 0F vi DAYTON, OHIO.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED WING-TIP FLARE .ZBRACKET.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial No. 555,403.

This invention relates .to electrically op;

era-ted wing tip flare brackets, the object in view being to provide a mechanism to replace the Holt wing tip flare bracket and at the same time provide means whereby the flare bracket may be held out of the air stream when not in use. This apparatus is designed .to be used in connection with the flare holder and tip, such as is (.lGTICI'llJGCl and claimed in my copending application Serial Number 555,406.

lVith the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a. plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section of the device showing the same in its folded or horizontal position.

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a mounting bracket adapted to be secured to an aircraft and particularly designed to be fastened to the under side of one of the wings of an airplane.

Connected to the bracket 1 by means of a pivot 2 is a flare carrying arm 3 having at its outer end a housing 4. The housing 4 contains a candle ejecting spring 5 which is under compression when the candle 6 is in place. The candle 6 is held by means of a clamping band 7 controlled and adapted to be relaxed by a trip arm 8 when the latter strikes against the ground. The end portions 9 of the clamping band 7 are held inclamping position by means of a camlO on one of the end portions of said band and a cooperating cam 11 on the adjacent end of the trip arm 8.

Extending from the upper or inner end of the housing 4 is a spring actuated thrust member 12 in the form of a bar or rod hav ing one end connected to the mounting bracket 1 by means of a pivot 13 oft-set from the pivot 2 of the arm 3. The spring 5 acts against the adjacent end of the thrust member 12 so that when the device is re leased, the spring 5 serves to throw the mechanism from the substantially horizontal carrying position shown in Figure 1, to a substantially vertical or pendent position.

The means for holding and releasing the mechanism above described embodies a catch tially vertical position, rests against another contact 21. The'contacts .20 and 21'are in circuit with a battery 22 or other source ofelectrical energy controlled by a push button or switch 23. Suitable terminals '22 and 23 are providedon the arm 12 adapted to receive and frictionally hold the ends of the two wires 24 and 25 with which such candles are provided and by means of which the candles are ignited. The purpose of having these wires thus frictionally held in position in their terminals is that the flare candles will thus 'fall freely under the action of the spring in the case when the release or trip lever strikes the ground. It will be noted that one lead from the candle is grounded at the terminals on the arm 12 and that one side of the switch at the battery is grounded on the bracket 1 so that when the switch 23 for the battery is closed,

the solenoid 19, one end of the coil of which also is grounded, attracts the armature 14 and allows the flare candle to swing downwardly until the contacts 20 and 21 engage. A circuit through theflare candle is then completed in an obvious manner. When the mechanism is not in its position of use it is held up in a substantially horizontal position so as to reduce head resistance to a minimum.

Having thus described ourinvention, we claim: 7

.1. The combination of a supporting bracket, a flare candle housing, a supporting arm for said housing connected by a pivot to said bracket and adapted to swing from its normal carrying position to its operative position, a spring-actuated thrust member acting to move said arm to its operative position and connected to the bracket by a pivot offset from the pivot of said arm, and means for holding and releasing said arm and thrust member.

2. The combination of a supporting arm for said housing connected by a pivot to said bracket and adapted to swing from its normal carrying position to its operative position, a spring-actuated thrust member acting to movesaid arinto its oper tive position and connected to the bracket by a pivot offset from the pivot OI said arm, and means for holding and releasing said arm and trio-a1 means for igniting a flare in the hold ing member including aswitch closed only when the flare holding member is in one position relative to the supporting member.

5. In combination with a supporting means, a movable fiare retaining member, an electromagnetically controlled means for releasably retaining the Hare retaining mom-- ber in one position relative to the supporting means and spring actuated means for moving said 'flare retaining member to a second position relative to the supporting means.

6. In combination with an aeroi oil olf an aircraft, a flare holding member pivotally carried by the under surface of the aero'toil, meansfor releasablyholding the Hare retaining member in a substantially horizontal position and means to move said flare holding member to a substantially vertical position Whenthe flare holding member is vreleased by said first mentioned means. H

In testimony whereof we atlix our signatures.

' HERBERT OpRUSsELLb CHARLES LEIGH PAULUS. 

